Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

elleng

(130,126 posts)
Sat May 11, 2013, 02:03 PM May 2013

From Barbara Boxer, What's in Food

It's a no-brainer: American families deserve to know what is in their food -- and I need your help in making that possible.

Recently, Congressman Peter DeFazio and I introduced the bipartisan Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act, which would require the FDA to clearly label genetically engineered (GE) foods so consumers can make informed choices about what they eat.

Common sense, right? But, as we speak, huge chemical and agribusiness corporations -- the same ones that spent $46 million to defeat GE labeling in California last year -- are preparing to spend millions more opposing our bill.

Let's show them that we won't back down. Let's prove that our collective voices are more powerful than their deep pockets. And let's do it now.

The FDA already requires the labeling of over 3,000 ingredients, additives, and processes. But the agency has failed to keep pace with new genetically modified foods in the 21st century.

Under pressure from industry, the FDA has claimed that genetically engineered foods are not "materially" different from other foods because people can't smell or taste the difference. But simple common sense tells you that a salmon engineered with eel DNA to grow twice as fast -- or corn that produces its own insecticide -- is different. And people have the right to know.

It's simply unacceptable to leave consumers in the dark about what they are eating.


I introduced the first Senate bill to require labeling of GE foods 13 years ago. At the time, my legislation had exactly one supporter in the Senate: me.

Today, we have nearly three dozen co-sponsors of this bill in the House and Senate -- a sign of the growing awareness about this issue across the country and the growing momentum for action. But we need your support, too.

Take action now to support labeling of genetically engineered foods: Sign on as a citizen cosponsor of my new bill today!

My legislation is supported by a broad coalition of more than 100 organizations -- from consumer groups to farmers to fishermen to chefs to companies like Clif Bar and Lundberg Family Farms.

In fact, last Thursday, Clif Bar's CEO hosted me at his company headquarters in Emeryville, California to show support for our efforts to pass this important legislation.

More than 1.5 million Americans have filed comments with the FDA urging the agency to label GE foods.

Sixty-four countries around the world already require the labeling of GE foods, including all the member nations of the European Union, Russia, Japan, China, Australia, and New Zealand.

It is long past time that we provided this same information to America's families. And, with your support, we can make it happen.

In gratitude,

Barbara Boxer

http://www.barbaraboxer.com/petitions/GEfoods?utm_source=sp5468359&utm_medium=e&sc=sp5468359&refcode=sp5468359&ta=

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

lunasun

(21,646 posts)
1. Sixty-four countries around the world already require the labeling of GE foods
Sat May 11, 2013, 02:09 PM
May 2013

Then what is wrong here in U$A?

Lundberg Family Farms was mentioned
I know they have been active in this fight for a while
support their products if you can

cui bono

(19,926 posts)
6. And Turkey's not allowing them to be imported.
Sat May 11, 2013, 04:01 PM
May 2013

If you haven't seem The World According to Monsanto, do so. It's crazy how they want to literally own our food by patenting everything. The poor farmers are getting screwed out of making a living and who knows what effects it will have on the rest of us and our planet.

 

byeya

(2,842 posts)
2. I want to know what's in my food so I can make an informed choice. The growers and/or manufacturers
Sat May 11, 2013, 02:24 PM
May 2013

know, so tell me, What's in your product?

Berlum

(7,044 posts)
3. Keeping Americans ignorant is the agenda of the Corporatocracy & its mutant Crap foodlike "products"
Sat May 11, 2013, 02:25 PM
May 2013

We do have a right to know. Anyone advocating agains that right is either a tool or a dupe. You can argue till the cows come home that the mutant GM crapola is "safe." There is a well-funded BS campaign to make sure everyone hears that line. And you have a perfect right to swallow the corporate propaganda. But you cannot, with any honor, argue that human beings should be intentionally kept in the dark about what they are eating.

K & R

bvar22

(39,909 posts)
4. If you wanted to know what was in your food,
Sat May 11, 2013, 02:36 PM
May 2013

...you should have voted for THIS guy in 2008.



What ever happened to that guy?
He would have made a great President.

Berlum

(7,044 posts)
9. Time for the O man to deliver on this promise
Sat May 11, 2013, 05:20 PM
May 2013

Occult & patented corporate crud is a sorryass approximation of either honest nutrition or justice.

freshwest

(53,661 posts)
7. My state reps have introduced this here; and now the big money is paying for the propaganda.
Sat May 11, 2013, 04:11 PM
May 2013

Mostly libertarian ('don't regulate business, you nanny staters') and some of the baggers ('sthu, you effete intellectual snobs'), but some from the universities. They resent anyone going their biggest funders and say that GMO complaints are woo and against science.

COO labeling and information on the ingredients in imported goods were prohibited in the Bush Adminstration. This allowed the melamine problems, and has not been corrected.

But most people in my area support COO, non-GMO, non-BGH and organically grown labeling. The stores and growers make a profit by listening to consumers here. Even COSTCO has found a way to offer canned tomatoes without the plastic inserts in the cans that people were complaining about leaching. I am sure they were installed because of the poor quality of metals used.

This is going to be a hell of a fight, but it is a consumer choice issue. The Democrats are about choice, not giving into mindless corporate profits from unsafe practices and telling people to STHU about what they want to have in their lives. I support this and will be sharing this. Thanks for the thread.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»From Barbara Boxer, What'...